Clothes-pin



(No Model.)

J. B. LOGKWOOD.

GLOTHES PIN;

No. 490,971. Patented Jan. 31, 1893.-

W/TNESSES lNl/ENTOH ATTORNEYS.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. LOCKWOOD, OF HELMVILLE, MONTANA.

CLOTHES-PIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 490,971, dated January 31, 1893.

Application filed May 20, 1892. Serial 110,433,665. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN B; LOOKWOOD, of Helmville, in the county of Deer Lodge and State of Montana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Clothes-Pins, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in clothes pins, and has for its object to construct a clothes pin upon the pincher type, and to construct the pin in such manner that it may be looked upon a line or unlocked therefrom conveniently and expeditiously with one hand. And a further object of the invention is to provide a locking mechanism in connection with the body of the pin, whereby when said mechanism is brought into operation the jaws of the pin will be firmly held in alocked position, from which they can. depart only when the locking device has been properly released from its locking engagement with the body.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views. I

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved clothes pin, illustrating the jaws in an open position; Fig. 2 is a view taken from the opposite side of the pin, illustrating the jaws in their closed position, and the locking mechanism in looking engagement with the pin; and Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken practically on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The body of the clothes pin comprises two sections A and B. These sections are pivotally connected preferably between their centers and their lower ends. The sections correspond practically to the sectionsof a pair of pinchers, and the section A, is provided with a diagonal recess 10, in one face, adapted to enter a corresponding recess 11 in the opposing face of the opposite section B. The recesses are made diagonal in order that the movements of the sections upon each other may be limited without the assistance of added stops of any description. Each section is shaped at its lower end in a manner to form a jaw, the jaw of the section B, being desig nated by the reference numeral Il and the jaw of the section A by the reference numeral 12; and by recessing the body of the members in the manner above described, the two jaws are made to face one another in such manner that they may close around a line and that portion of an article lying over the line. To that end the jaws are sem i-circular in general contour and their concaved surfaces face each other, producing a circular opening between the jaws when said jaws are in their closed position.

The main feature of this invention lies in the locking mechanism, and this is located at the upper or handle ends of the sections A and B. The handle portion of the section B, is provided at a predetermined distance from its extremity with a shoulder 13 transversely located; the said shoulder, however, is not exactly at a right angle to the section, but is given somewhat of an upward inclination. From the inner portion of the shoulder the outer edge of the handle section B, is rendered curved, forming thereby a cam face 14, as is best and clearly shown in Fig. 1. This cam face extends from the shoulder to and constitutes a portion of the extremity of this section. Upon the handle extremity of the section A of the pin a latch 15, is pivoted. This latch is substantially of yoke formation, as is shown in Fig. 3, and usually consists of a block in which a slot 16, is longitudinally produced, extending through and from one end; and this yoke latch is pivoted to the section A, near the end through which the slot 16 extends. The yoke latch isso located upon the section A that when the two sections A and B, are carried inward or in direction of each other in such manner as to carry the jaws l1 and 12 as far as possible together, A

or is exerted upon that portion of the latch eX- tending beyond the cam surface of the body; and the object of extending the latch beyond the cam surface is in order that this portion of the latch may be readily engaged by the thumb of the operators hand while with his fingers the body of the pin is grasped. It will thus be observed that this device is not only simple, economic, durable and capable of ready manipulation, but that it may be manipulated by the operator with but one hand, leaving the other hand free to dress the clothes upon the line, and. that by locating the shoulder 13 and placing the cam face 14 in the position in which they have been shown and described, the latch may be carried diagonally downward over the body, thereby insuring a much more firm and positive lock than could be obtained by placing the latch transversely, when in the locking position, or giving it an upward inclination.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

As an article of manufacture, a clothes pin, the same consisting of two members pivotally connected, each section having one end shaped as a handle and the other as a clamping jaw, the jaws being curved in direction of each other, the said sections being alsoprovided with opposing diagonally located recessed sur- 7 faces whereby the jaws are brought face to face and their movement outward and inward limited, a cam surface produced upon the outer face of the handle portion of one section, this section being also provided with ashoulder at the base of the cam surface, and a latch pivoted to the handle portion of the opposite section, the latch comprising a block provided with a recess to receive the cam surface above mentioned, which latch is diagonally located across the section when in looking position and engaged with the said shoulder, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JOHN B. LOOKWOOD. \Vitnesses:

GEORGE W. ALLEN, EGBERT OWEN FREEMAN. 

